Monday, June 22, 2015

We told you earlier this month about Renee Martin, Ramona Watson, and Brenda Eldridge—the mother and two-daughter trio who graduated together in Peirce’s Class of 2015. Family ties run through this year’s graduating class in other ways, too: On June 11th, siblings Rahim Bey and Teanna Payne completed their bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration together. Rahim, 27, earned his degree with a concentration in Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management, while Teanna, 39, concentrated in Management.

It’s not surprising that Rahim and Teanna majored in the same subject. The two have been close for most of their lives and now have a goal to start their own business together.

“I had a vision of running my own business and knew I had to go back to school to achieve it,” said Rahim when we talked to him about his Peirce experience. “At first I felt like I wasn’t going to be ready and might have jumped into it too fast. But with support from family, advisors, and faculty, I was able to stick with it.”

Teanna, a mother of three, also told us about the difference her family made in her educational journey. “I was 35 with teenagers running around. I didn’t know what to expect with going back to school. What kept me motivated was that I always tell my children to finish what they start. I knew I couldn’t preach that and not practice it.”

The duo also told us they had instructors that they felt they could rely on, including Business Faculty Chair Dr. Mike Schirmer. “He is really invested in his students,” Teanna said.

Looking back on their experience, Rahim and Teanna have some advice to share for other adult learners earning their degrees. “Time management!” they chimed in together.

“You also need a positive support system,” Teanna added. “We had each other.”

Now their degrees are the stepping stones they need to move into the next phase of their careers.

“Remember, in today’s job market you need a degree to do anything,” Teanna said. “Giving yourself an education is the biggest investment you can make in yourself. If you love yourself and know you’re worth it, don’t be scared to invest.”

And it’s family that helped Rahim and Teanna get there. The siblings reflected on their mother at the end of our conversation and told me they wanted to dedicate this blog post to her. “Her choices made us stronger and want more for ourselves and our families,” Teanna said.

Congratulations on earning your degrees, Rahim and Teanna! We can’t wait to see what’s next for you!